Name Ilford

ILFORD is a narrowboat built by Braithwaite & Kirk of West Bromwich in 1912. Her fleet number was 269 and her Grand Union gauge number was 11878. She is currently registered on the Bridgewater Canal as B0283. She was owned by Fellows, Morton & Clayton Ltd. until 1945 and was then sold to the Manchester Ship Canal Company, who kept her until 1971.

Under the latter ownership, she was based on the Bridgewater Canal and operated as mudboat number two. ILFORD was subsequently sold to the Birmingham and Midland Canal Carrying Company for use as a work flat. In the late 1970s, she was briefly purchased by a private owner, before being discovered by the present owner in 1978.

She has since been restored to her original condition and all the wooden parts, including the bottoms and cabins, have been completely renewed to Inland Waterways Association design. ILFORD has a carrying capacity of approximately thirty tons. Her hull is composite with riveted wrought-iron sides and an elm bottom. Her shape is that of a typical butty.

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